CENSUS NEXT APRIL

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27736, 13 August 1955, Page 2

CENSUS NEXT APRIL

DETAILS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF 1951 HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE QUESTIONS A census of New Zealand will be taken on April 17 next year, exactly five years after the previous census. April 17 is a Tuesday, and that is the day generally regarded as most suitable for the census to enable as many people as possible to be enumerated at their usual place of residence. In early censuses Sunday was the ideal day, but since 1926 Tuesday has been the selected day. The country will be divided into approximately 110 census districts, eaqh of which will be in charge of a census enumerator, who will be responsible for the enumeration of the population and farms in his area.. For the field work there will be approximately 2000 sub-enumerators. The occupier or person in charge of a dwelling is given the duty of ensuring that particulars demanded in census schedules are furnished in respect of every person who lived in the dwelling on the night of the census and who was alive at midnight. The personal census schedule will be the same as that used in 1951. It will require information on sex, age, marital status, birthplace, duration of residence in New Zealand, race, religious profession, number of hours worked a week for salary and wages, occupation, industry, occupational status, income, usual place of residence and overseas war service. In addition to the personal schedule, a schedule is completed for each dwelling. Next year there will be some new items such as the ownership of refrigerators, washing machines and means of cooking requiring an answer. The census z will also want to know about home garden production. Farming statistics will .be collected on another schedule. Particulars of crops, livestock, farm machinery and topdressing will be asked in respect of Ml areas of a quarter of an acre or more, whether inside or outside boroughs. The farming ihquiry will replace for 1956 the normal annual collection of farm statistics.